The Biggest MLB Trade Deadline Needs for Every Playoff Contender

Here are the areas where the Yankees, Dodgers and other teams in the postseason picture should look to upgrade.

Welcome to the final stretch before the trade deadline. (Remember, the date to know this season is August 2, as July 31 falls on a Sunday.) This year might not have the most overpowering group of trade candidates—at least in the Not-Juan Soto Category—but there’s still plenty of activity to anticipate. Which team will land Luis Castillo? How will a third wild card berth change teams’ calculus? And, per usual, just about everyone could use a little extra bullpen help.

Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest need for every contender:

Joey Gallo’s struggles pushed the Yankees to acquire Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi on Wednesday night :: Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports

AMERICAN LEAGUE

New York Yankees: This might seem like a clear example of “What do you get for the team that has everything?” When a club has been this good, there can’t be too much to pick at. But the Yankees aren’t bulletproof—they did post a losing record in July—and there are still a few areas of the roster that could stand an upgrade. One is the rotation: That’s influenced in part by the timing of the IL stint for starter Luis Severino, who’s nearing the end of his two weeks of no throwing due to a lat strain and still has no timetable for his return. That said, some additional depth here would have been plainly helpful regardless. The fact that reliever Michael King is now out for the season should make bullpen help more of a priority, too. And even though the Yankees used last year’s trade deadline to stock up on left-handed hitters, Joey Gallo’s lackluster performance this year means it wouldn’t hurt to bring in someone else. They’ve already gotten a jumpstart there by acquiring Andrew Benintendi from the Royals on Wednesday, which should signal Gallo’s time with the Yankees is nearly over. But they could still use another depth piece, considering the injury history of players like Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson.

Houston Astros: Another catcher. They have Martín Maldonado, but Jason Castro is out indefinitely with a knee injury, which means that getting a backup should be a top priority. The Astros have called up Korey Lee while Castro has been out; the rookie’s playing time has been limited so far, and while he very well might be part of the picture here going forward, they would be wise to seek out another, more experienced option for the rest of this year. One move that could really help them out: Christian Vázquez, if the Red Sox decide to sell and make him available. If not him, Sean Murphy is all but certain to be available from the A’s, and Willson Contreras from the Cubs.

Minnesota Twins: In spring training, it seemed like the biggest question here would be the pitching staff. At the deadline … it still seems like the pitching staff. The Twins certainly would benefit from picking up a solid starter, plus another reliever (or two), and it’s hard to say which unit needs the help more. Minnesota’s offseason moves to bolster its rotation have not gone exactly according to plan: Yes, the Twins have gotten production from Sonny Gray while seeing the best performance in years from Chris Archer, but Dylan Bundy has struggled mightily and Chris Paddack is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That leaves plenty of room to add. The bullpen, meanwhile, has given up more home runs than any relief corps except the Cubs’. The Twins have been in first place since April. But that says more about the state of the AL Central than it does about them: This team doesn’t look equipped to make a deep playoff run as currently constructed.

Toronto Blue Jays: Some back-end rotation help: Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman are a great one-two punch, but after them, it gets thin fast. Hyun-Jin Ryu is out for the year, José Berríos is having the worst season of his career and Yusei Kikuchi has been struggling with both health and performance. The Blue Jays could also benefit from augmenting their relief corps: Their 4.01 bullpen ERA is the highest of any team currently in a playoff spot. Now, with the addition of another starter or two in the rotation, they would be able to move Ross Stripling back to the bullpen, which would provide an automatic boost there—but they’d still be smart to seek external help for both areas.

Mariners second baseman Adam Frazier has not repeated the All-Star form he displayed last season :: Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners: Second base. This has not been the version of Adam Frazier that Seattle hoped it was getting when it traded for him in November: After his All-Star turn in 2021, Frazier this year has posted his worst season at the plate ever. It’s true that he’s looked a bit more like himself in recent weeks with a .696 OPS in July. (That’s compared to .586 over the first few months of the season.) But it just makes sense for the Mariners to search for an upgrade here. Beyond that? Another starter would be nice.

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Tampa Bay Rays: This one is curious simply because it’s shaped so much by recent injuries. A month ago, pitching depth looked like the most logical piece to chase here. Now? Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and catcher Mike Zunino are out for the season. Shortstop Wander Franco will be sidelined for at least a month and perhaps two with a broken hamate. Outfielders Manuel Margot and Harold Ramírez are out with a knee injury and broken thumb, respectively, with no timetables for their returns. They could still use a little more pitching. But given all the questions about who will be able to return when and what they will be able to contribute when they do, it might be smarter to chase some utilitymen who can provide offense.

The Rest: There are four clubs entering Thursday within five games of the last wild card spot: the Guardians, White Sox, Orioles and Red Sox. Any of these might buy. (Oh, how I long to see a headline about a surging Baltimore club deciding to go all in.) Yet none of them have clear, obvious cases like the teams above. They could make a splash if they want to. But don’t count on them to drive the market.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers’ depth has been significantly tested this year. They’ve (mostly) lived up to the challenge—they wouldn’t have the best record in the NL if they hadn’t. But there are still areas for them to address at the deadline. A big one is the bullpen. Ravaged by injuries, they’ve attempted to counter the problem with a slew of promotions and minor-league signings. (Yes, Pedro Báez, Hansel Robles and Dellin Betances are all in this system right now, though none of them look particularly close to making a big-league impact again.) It’s a situation that would be greatly helped by adding a quality reliever or two. Meanwhile, the need in the rotation isn’t quite so pressing by comparison, but there’s still a reason the Dodgers have been linked to Luis Castillo. (Namely: If Walker Buehler encounters any setbacks in recovery from his surgery to remove bone spurs last month, a top-line starter will be much appreciated.) Finally, with injuries up and down the lineup, they could use some help on the bench, too. Which may sound like a lot for a first-place team. But it’s a testament to just how much the Dodgers have been dealing with this year—and since they have the resources to gear up for a serious run down the stretch, why shouldn’t they?

Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in June :: Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets: The Mets could use both a catcher and some help in the bullpen. Tomás Nido has been filling in as the backstop while James McCann is out with an oblique injury, but even as a return approaches for McCann, his performance at the plate this year means they would be wise to seek an upgrade. (Contreras of the Cubs seems like one potential target.) And in the ‘pen, New York would benefit from getting anyone who could offer a more consistent path through the middle innings to All-Star closer Edwin Díaz. On Wednesday night, the Mets turned to David Peterson, a young starting pitcher who was making just his fifth career relief appearance, because manager Buck Showalter couldn’t rely on Joely Rodríguez, the only other lefthander in their bullpen. Peterson gave up a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning. Other than that? The Mets entered deadline season with a need for a power bat, and they got started by adding Daniel Vogelbach, but they could stand to give him a righty hitter as a platoon partner.

Milwaukee Brewers: Bluntly, some offense. This could be as straightforward as a pick-up at DH (Josh Bell of the Nationals, perhaps?), or they could also look to add in the outfield: Since Lorenzo Cain was designated for assignment, Tyrone Taylor and Jonathan Davis have split duties in center. An upgrade there could work nicely. And then there’s the question of whether the Brewers need to bolster their rotation. It was their greatest strength entering this year, but injuries have complicated that picture: Brandon Woodruff is already back, and Freddy Peralta and Adrian Houser should return, but as Milwaukee tries to hold off St. Louis in the meantime, the front office could stand to add one more starter for depth.

Atlanta Braves: The big one here is a corner outfielder. That was true even before Adam Duvall underwent season-ending wrist surgery this week, but now, it’s even more so. (And if you need a refresher: Good things can happen when Atlanta remakes its outfield at the deadline!) Apart from that, it wouldn’t hurt to get one more reliable arm stashed in the bullpen.

Fernando Tatis Jr. participated in his first full batting practice this week since his wrist surgery in March :: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres: The good news: Getting Fernando Tatis Jr. back from his wrist injury soon will kind of, almost, sort of feel like a major acquisition. The bad news: The Padres definitely still need to add in other areas. The primary one is the outfield. (Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh?) But they could also stand to pull in another bench bat, and, like many others, they could be helped by filling out their bullpen. Oh, and there’s this guy named Soto, the second coming of Ted Williams, on the block. We know GM A.J. Preller isn’t afraid to take a big swing and trade prospects for superstars.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals rotation has struggled with injuries: Jack Flaherty has been able to make only three starts this year, Steven Matz now may miss the rest of the season with a torn MCL and Dakota Hudson has lost time with a neck injury, though he’s scheduled to return this weekend. All of this means it should be imperative to pick up another starter (or two!). Beyond that? Well, to be clear, every team on this list could use Juan Soto. But early rumors have been particularly strong around the Cardinals, and while anything happening there will be contingent primarily on the right offer getting assembled at the right time… Soto would also simply be a great fit here.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies enter Thursday a half-game out of the last wild card berth. They need some more starting pitching. (Zach Eflin’s trip to the IL this month with a knee injury solidified that.) But they could also use some more offense: While this team looked built to slug, they haven’t quite lived up to that, with an only-just-above-average 103 OPS+. Yet they’re rather limited positionally in who they might pursue. (This is a roster that really, really cannot stand to make any further defensive compromises.) If they’re going to add another bat, then, it should really be in center field. That could mean Reynolds from the Pirates if they want to make a big splash—which seems somewhat unlikely, given where they sit on the fringes of the playoff picture—or Ian Happ from the Cubs.

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